I watched some of the film entries in the recently concluded Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). What really caught my attention was the trailer of the full-length animated film Urduja that was being shown before the featured film. Here’s a glimpse to this upcoming movie:

According to legends, “Urduja” is a 14th century warrior-princess who ruled the Kingdom of Tawalisi in Pangasinan. She was famous for leading a group of woman warriors who were skilled fighters and equestrian. Historical reference to Princess Urduja can be found in the travel account of Ibn Battuta, a Muslim traveler from Morocco. He stopped by Tawalisi on his way to China and had known Princess Urduja.

Urduja will be in theaters some time this year. I will definitely see this one.

I finally had a taste of Ratatouille yesterday. Not the French dish, but the latest Pixar/Disney animated film. When I first saw its trailer, my impression was it’s melodramatic—a story of a sorry-looking guy who wants to be a chef and a rat that has talent in the kitchen. To say that I had fun is an understatement. Even my mom, who rarely watches animated movies, had a grand time. Ratatouille premiered in Philippine cinemas on July 25. The theater was surprisingly full when we watched, considering that it’s running on its 4th week. And the film seemed to have attracted more adult audience than children.